The improved mold assembly for cultured marble molding is provided. The mold assembly can comprise a male mold portion and a female mold portion. The assembly can further comprise a molding tool. The molding tool can have a side wall having an upper curved portion and a lower curved portion. The molding tool can have a bowl portion and an apron portion spaced from the bowl portion by a gap. The molding tool can be constructed from a flexible and/or soft material. The molding tool can facilitate molding of a countertop having at least one seamless curved edge and/or an at least partially seamless sink portion.

An additive lathe integrates the advantages of additive manufacturing (also called 3d printing) with the cylindrical motion of a lathe to reduce material waste, print times, and increase creative potential. A post-processing system allows for an improved surface finishing on parts. The additive lathe no longer prints in cartesian (X, Y, Z) coordinates as other 3D printers and instead prints using cylindrical (R, Theta, Z) coordinates. The traditional bed or build plate is replaced with a horizontal cylindrical starter bar, on which 3D printed material is deposited along and around the bar. Essentially, the additive lathe works like a conventional lathe, but in reverse. Instead of taking a cylinder and slowly removing material as the part spins, the additive lathe adds material along and around the bar iteratively building up the part. The finishing mechanism allows for the creation of a smooth outer finish on printed parts while still in the printer.

A panel may be formed with mandrels inside of stiffening members. The panel may be coupled to a panel holding jig. A winch may be coupled to the mandrels. The winch may pull the mandrels out of the stiffening members and into curved tracks.

An undercut processing mechanism includes: a molding core for forming an undercut portion; an inclined pin slidable in a first direction inclined relative to a die opening direction of a molding die during the removal of a molded product from the die; and a guide rail for guiding the movement of the inclined pin. The inclined pin has a slide block movable in contact with the guide rail. The guide rail is so formed as to contact the slide block over the entire stroke of the inclined pin so that the first direction of movement of the inclined pin may be regulated, and is also so formed as to have a shape of a high bending rigidity in a particular direction of the slide block.

An undercut processing mechanism includes: a molding core for forming an undercut portion; an inclined pin slidable in a first direction inclined relative to a die opening direction of a molding die during the removal of a molded product from the die; and a guide rail for guiding the movement of the inclined pin. The inclined pin has a slide block movable in contact with the guide rail. The guide rail is so formed as to contact the slide block over the entire stroke of the inclined pin so that the first direction of movement of the inclined pin may be regulated, and is also so formed as to have a shape of a high bending rigidity in a particular direction of the slide block.

According to some aspects, a method is provided of forming a metallic object via additive fabrication, the method comprising obtaining a geometric description of a first object with an exterior surface, generating a geometric description of a second object, the second object bounded by the exterior surface of the first object and having one or more voids, fabricating said second object via additive fabrication based on said geometric description of the second object, and depositing a metallic material onto said second object, wherein the metallic material is deposited into said voids of second object.

A method of forming a three-dimensional body from a mixture, wherein the mixture can comprise dispersed solid polymeric particles and a curable binder. In a particular embodiment the solid polymeric particles can be fluoropolymeric particles. The method can include at least partial removal of the cured binder and sintering, to obtain a sintered polymeric three-dimensional body. In one embodiment, the sintered three-dimensional body can be PTFE.

A method of forming a three-dimensional body from a mixture, wherein the mixture can comprise dispersed solid polymeric particles and a curable binder. In a particular embodiment the solid polymeric particles can be fluoropolymeric particles. The method can include at least partial removal of the cured binder and sintering, to obtain a sintered polymeric three-dimensional body. In one embodiment, the sintered three-dimensional body can be PTFE.

A hydraulic advancement/postponement assembly is operably coupled to a first ejector plate and to a second ejector plate. The hydraulic advancement/postponement assembly includes a first hydraulic cylinder having a first housing defining a first volume and a first piston, the first housing connected to the first ejector plate and the first piston connected to a fixed element. The hydraulic advancement/postponement assembly includes a second hydraulic cylinder disposed in fluid communication with the first hydraulic cylinder, the second hydraulic cylinder having a second housing defining a second volume and a second piston, the second housing connected to the first ejector plate and a second piston connected to the second ejector plate.

The injection mold has a mold core including a first part and a second part. The parts are mobile relative to one another between a first injection position in which they are moved together to form an injection cavity permitting the injection of a material to form an injected part (50; 50), and a second demolding position in which they are moved away from one another to permit the demolding of the injected part (50; 50). The injection mold has at least one ejector designed to contribute to the demolding, and at least one movable intermediate plate (10; 10, 20), separate from the two parts of the mold core. The intermediate pate is arranged between the two parts of the mold core, and has at least one cutout (12; 12, 22) forming at least one part of the injection cavity of the injection mold.